contingency fee

American  

[kuhn-tin-juhn-see fee] / kənˈtɪn dʒən si ˌfi /

noun

• contingency fees
  plural

1. a fee paid to a lawyer only if the case is won or settled favorably, calculated as a percentage of the damages or other compensation awarded to the client.

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contingency fee British  

noun

1. a lawyer's fee that only becomes payable if the case is successful

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• contingency fees
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contingency fee

Their contingency fee — typically 35% to 40% of an award — would be zero.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2025

The rise of contingency fee cases kicked off a new wave of lobbying across the nation.

From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2024

In that case, Cohen had requested $13,578 based on his contingency fee arrangement.

From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2023

Past examples of contingency fee arrangements show how lucrative they can be if a case is successful.

From Reuters ● Apr. 20, 2023

Mr. Holden, the managing partner at The Boathouse Group LLC, also presented the case to three or four law firms that take lawsuits on a contingency fee basis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2018